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Vice Presidential Debate Live-Blog

Tonight is the night of the Vice Presidential Debate between Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, Republican candidate Paul Ryan, and not Libertarian candidate Jim Gray.

Here I will maintain a “live-blog” as the debate unfolds, offering a different perspective than what you’ll see in most places in the media.

The debate begins at 9pm this evening. Bookmark this web page and return here at that time. Please feel free to join the discussion in the comments section. Why not debate the debate?!

-Chris

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FINAL THOUGHTS:
When it comes to looking most comfortable, being the most level-headed, and maintaining composure, Congressman Paul Ryan wins the debate. He kept his cool, delivered his points, and backed them up. Vice President Biden looked desperate and was quite disrespectful when he frequently interrupted his opponent, laughed out loud as he was using his time, and wore a mocking grin. It looked very unpresidential for the Obama/Biden ticket.

As far as policy goes though, both represent a big government trend. Vice President Biden doesn’t want to touch welfare, because everyone will starve if we admit there is bloat somewhere in the welfare budget and we must address it. Congressman Ryan doesn’t want to touch military, because all the terrorists will conquer America if we admit that there is bloat somewhere in the military budget and we must address it. We cannot just hack and slash both budgets, because people are dependent in their own way on the respective budgets. But both need cuts.

At the end of the day, the American people lost. But what else is new in politics?

10:32pm
Level playing field, Vice President Biden? How many bailouts have you given Mainstreet?

10:20pm
When you abort, you’re affecting more than one life. Period. It’s not as simple as Vice President Biden makes it sound.

10:10pm
For someone who said we don’t need another war, Vice President Biden seems to suggest support for a war in Syria. Shouldn’t we just let Syrians take care of Syria?

10:08pm
Vice President Biden is right. Let Afghans protect Afghans. We didn’t go into Afghanistan to do nation building, we went to find Osama bin Laden. We disrupted the Taliban and eventually took out Osama bin Laden. We have no business there anymore.

10:02pm
Congressman Ryan doesn’t pay attention to the objectives of our enemy. This is the part where people start accusing me of blaming America. Apparently nobody ever read “The Art of War” an Sun Tzu’s point about knowing your enemy. But to my point:

Osama bin Laden had said on several occassions his objective was to do to America what the Afghan mujahideen did to the Soviet Union: bleed them until their economy is dry, thus crippling the nation. It’s attrition warfare. It was successful and the Soviet Union collapsed because of economic woes.

So by all means, Congressman Ryan, support the terrorists by pledging our troops to other countries for the rest of eternity. It’ll destroy us like it did the Soviets. It already is.

9:59pm
Does Congressman Ryan remember when Ronald Reagan had the Taliban over to the White House when he praised these “freedom fighters”? Foreign policy is always so short-sighted. Most people forget how much money we dumped into the mujahideen, under Jimmy Carter and Reagan.

That’s bipartisanship! Funding radical Islamists!

9:56pm
What Congressman Ryan, by opposing the possibility of military cuts, is implying is that problems are solved by spending more money. Does he believe education would be better if we just dumped more money in it? What about America in general? Bring on the bailouts and stimulus!

There is much more to this. It’s about efficiency, not the amount spent. Again, why Congressman Ryan is not a libertarian, nor is he an objectivist. He’s not even a fiscal conservative. Period.

9:53pm
Vice President Joe Biden has zero respect. He’s showing America why this ticket is not presidential and he is out of touch. Repeatedly, he interrupts Congressman Ryan, refuses to allow him to finish his point. It’s disrespectful, very disrespectful.

9:48pm
Somebody get Vice President Biden an umbrella, it’s raining cold hard facts. Congressman Ryan is making solid points about taxation of small business owners. Proof he’s right? The Vice President is not smirking anymore.

9:46pm
Vice President Biden sounds like Senator John McCain when he ran for President…everybody is a friend, my friend.

9:39pm
Vice President Joe Biden is showing his presidential class by regularly interrupting his opponent, laughing at him, and having a wide smirk on his face. At least President Obama showed some level of respect to Mitt Romney in the first presidential debate.

9:34pm
That’s the second time the moderator has cut Congressman Paul Ryan off mid-statement.

9:32pm
Congresman Paul Ryan is proving why he is not an objectivist or a libertarian. Instead of attacking the Obama Administration for promises regarding unemployment being false, he should be pointing out that these numbers are reliant on the market, not government. Another point of proof that he’s not as extremist or radical as he’s cracked up to be.

9:31pm
Vice President Biden claims that Congressman Ryan and Republicans “don’t take responsibility” for their own actions…

Blame Bush.

9:26pm
Vice President Biden said it’s time to end the policy of having different solutions for Wall Street and Mainstreet. How many bailouts have been given to Mainstreet, again?

9:23pm
“War should always be the last resort.” -Vice President Joe Biden
…but never hold back with the drones. Ever.

9:13pm
Did the moderator just cut Congressman Ryan off mid-statement? Wow.

9:11pm
No apologies sounds fine and dandy, Congressman Ryan, but it’s just empty rhetoric that makes you look good to the people who have your votes anyway. Have you called to end foreign aid to these countries? Do you believe we should stop foreign welfare to hostile nations?

9:09pm
No defense cuts! The so-called fiscal conservative points out why Congressman Ryan is not a fiscal conservative.

9:06pm
Vice President Biden said 2014, but Afghanistan agreement was for 2024. And the last thing we need is another war…but drone strikes across Pakistan and a military buildup in Jordan in anticipation of a Syrian crisis is fine.

5:22pm
Official predictions: Congressman Ryan wins the trophy, Vice President Biden’s lack of a filter gains special mention, and America loses again, but this time not nearly as much as Big Bird. #OccupySeasameStreet

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About Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.

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Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.